I read with dismay and resurrected memories about the theft of flowers and other memorial items from the crash site in Granby.

My sympathy goes out to the family of Brianna Paice, not only for the tragic loss of a loved one, but also for the removal of the items left by her family. The same thing happened to me when my father was killed in a car accident several years ago.

Our memorial site was off the road as well, across a drainage ditch at the edge of a vacant lot. The first memorial cross was stolen (it was bolted to a metal rod hammered into the ground) as well as flowers.

Apparently there is no lack of such lowlifes who would steal from the dead and their families, adding to their grief. How would they feel if the situation were reversed and they lost a loved one and someone stole from them? Such utter disregard for the living is really disheartening.

Donna Centers
Fayetteville

Exciting day leads Ducks to future in Syracuse

To the Editor:

On March 25, everything changed in Crunch land. We were not in the playoffs again for the second straight year, and so after 10 years it was bye-bye Columbus.

This team this year will be mostly made up of former Portland Pirates, Iowa Chops and such. Well, let’s begin with the 2000-2001 season. We did not make the playoffs that year, and so began the Columbus era.

In 2001-2002, we were Central division champions, then came 2007-2008 — the team with 16 consecutive wins. This was when former assistant coach Karl Goehring was on top of his game. Nothing could stop this team.

But then came that day that Crunch fans were so excited about on March 25. I was on my way to intern at The Post-Standard when I saw a green vehicle and I said to my bus driver, it’s Anaheim.

And so the formal announcement came and it was for certain: the Anaheim Ducks. So I hope that Anaheim lives up to their word with a winning team on the ice, trying to win 2,678 miles away in California. Let’s go Crunch and Anaheim Ducks!

Tim Bennett
Manlius

Nice try, but Clinton did not hurt the military

To the Editor:

This letter is in response to fellow writer Steve Coughlin’s Aug. 26 Bill Clinton bash. I guess if you repeat things over and over enough, they become true in some people’s minds.

It’s nice to see that he gives George W. Bush some of the blame for squandering the Clinton-era surplus. It’s a widely regarded falsehood that Clinton gutted the military.

Fox news types like to point out that heavy production, such as tanks and bomber planes, declined during the Clinton administration. That’s because the Cold War was over and Bill Clinton was bringing the military into the 21st century with Predator drones and computerized smart bombs designed to help the military function going forward.

Two quick questions: If our military was “gutted” by Clinton, then why was George W. Bush so darned anxious to bring it into Iraq? And if he felt that two divisions of the military were, as he put it, “Not ready for duty,” then why did his team lie about weapons of mass destruction and then engage the “enemy” in a ground war?

Clinton warned the Bush team about Osama bin Ladin, but it didn’t matter — Bush, Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz, Cheney and the rest of the H.W. Bush holdovers were going into Iraq no matter what they had to do or say to get there.

Dan LaRusso
Liverpool

Stop plans to kill wolves in the West

To the Editor:

If you value our environment and are a wildlife supporter, you might be interested to know that a senseless, brutal atrocity is about to happen.

A recent court decision restored Endangered Species Act “protections” for Greater Yellowstone wolves! Although the court’s decision is only weeks old, the government’s wildlife killing experts, the Wildlife Services agents, are planning to kill hundreds of wolves in the region, including helpless pups!

The Wildlife Services agency, a branch of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, wants to expand their wolf-killing operations, especially in Idaho and the Rockies. The way I understand it, they plan to work with Idaho officials to kill up to 80 percent of the wolves in north-central Idaho by land and just as brutally from the air.

Their plan includes killing entire packs, “gassing” helpless wolf pups in their dens, and even surgically sterilizing alpha wolf pairs.

Sadly, this horrific killing plan is still scheduled to go on, despite the fact that wolves in the region are protected by federal law.

Instead of trying to help ranchers learn how to co-exist with wildlife like the wolf and other native species, the Wildlife Services has apparently decided to wage an all-out war to massacre these magnificent animals.

If you are interested in helping stop this unacceptable and senseless wolf-killing plan, you can speak out and help the Defenders of Wildlife’s urgent campaign To Save America’s Wolves (see www.savewolves.org). The deadline for public comments on this inhumane wolf-killing atrocity is Tuesday.

Thank you!

Note: Information was excerpted from Rodger Schlickeisen’s “Call To Action” as president of the Defenders of Wildlife.

Steve Yarnell
Minoa

No tax dollars to give drunks a ride home

To the Editor:

I was shocked and horrified by Tom Anelli’s letter to the editor entitled, “DWI prevention, not penalty.”

Anelli writes, “We expect a 20-year-old to make the right decision and not drive after they have had too much to drink, rather than providing them with a convenient, acceptable alternative.

“Shouldn’t we expect those in charge of our cities to provide convenient, alternate transportation in areas and at times where drunk patrons are foreseeable?

“Wouldn’t we support a slight increase in taxes to support such a goal?”

Here’s my take on it. We are all responsible for our actions, and for our drinking. I opt for a taxi called to take the drunken person home. Taxis are expensive; the cabbie must be given a great tip. The bill would hurt the pocketbook.

Support a slight increase in taxes to support Anelli’s acceptable alternative? No. We here in New York have the highest tax rate in the whole United States. We are stretched thin!

I would be outraged if the people in charge of our cities gave any kind of transportation to people who were drunk. That is not their job.

Anelli has spent years getting his degree in law, but we was never taught one thing — common sense!

Genevieve Salvage
Baldwinsville

Drivers make train crossings dangerous

To the Editor:

I just got out of work and I’m writing this letter while I’m still angry.

On Aug. 16, I was an engineer operating Fingerlakes Railway train GS-2 from Geneva to Solvay and the return. I was operating the train at 10 mph, my ditch lights were on and my headlights were on bright. I was properly sounding the horn and bell, making plenty of noise. I observed the crossing warning lights flashing and working as they should.

A northbound driver in a white car on South Park Street elected not to stop and stepped on the gas instead in order to beat us.

I braced myself for impact and waited for the sound of crunching metal, but somehow the driver made it and sped down the road so fast that neither my conductor nor myself was able to get a license plate number or better description of the vehicle.

The driver did look to me like an older male.

To the guy driving this car — I hope you are reading this letter. Shame on you. You almost died! I was still shaking for quite some time after this and had to calm myself down in order to get through the rest of my day.

It has been my experience as railroader that there is a widespread disregard for railroad crossings among the driving public. It’s only a matter of time before statistics catch up and we end up hitting cars at crossings.

Erik F. Yackel
Warners

Firefighters did late father proud at funeral

To the Editor:

I would like to pay my utmost respect to the Syracuse Fire Department. My father was a proud member of the Syracuse Fire Department for 20 years and passed away recently. The compassion and generosity that the firefighters showed at his calling hours and funeral service was more than admirable.

There were at least 10 different firemen who volunteered both days to help with honor guard looking over my father. Thank you to all of the Syracuse Fire Department. Your kindness will never be forgotten and your courage will always be remembered.

Shannon Ahern Jr.
Jordan

Thank Valesky for closing of needed Butler

To the Editor:

I was pleased to read that Carpenters Brook Fish Hatchery was funded for another year. What a golden gem for Onondaga County. It’s worth a visit and look around.

I had the honor and privilege to run an inmate crew from Butler Correctional Facility this year at Carpenters Brook, numerous times. This resulted in considerable savings for taxpayers.

I found the staff and administrator to be dedicated and efficient. They made this facility just shine and operate at top performance.

Unfortunately, Butler Correctional is closing and there will be no more community crews available. Believe me, this is a crying shame and a further burden to taxpayers.

So if you run into Sen. Dave Valesky, who helped mastermind the closing of Butler, thank him for giving you less for your tax dollars.

Think hard when you vote in November. We need common sense, not politics.

Terry Powell
Wolcott

Sausage Ecosystem Project worth support

To the Editor:

Many thanks to The Post-Standard for publishing that letter on the local Art Ecosystem Project. I would like to point out that some of us have been working on similar projects in the area, and may even have coined the “ecosystem” moniker first. This is as good a time as any to report on the Syracuse Sausage Ecosystem Project.

The SSEP is intended to better integrate all aspects of local sausage use, and to foster a greater synthesis between our many and varied products. The desire was to promote a sausage synergy, but not to homogenize each distinctive element in our sausage culture. The common bond shared between local sausages should be viewed more as a symphony of flavor rather than a series of solo performances.

We did find local prejudice played a role in how a sausage is perceived. No one would put a cheddar bratwurst in spaghetti sauce, nor was kielbasa ever deemed an appropriate ice cream topping. However, all sausages were satisfactory with eggs in the morning, as long as they were paired with salt potato home fries. Yum, yum, yummer! Anyway, the entire report will soon be available at the Syracuse Chamber of Commerce.

Bryan A. Roberts
Baldwinsville

Even atheists can’t escape having faith

To the Editor:

I have always admired the faith that atheists have in the non-existence of God. They don’t seem to realize that their faith is as powerful as one that believes that God exists. They simply believe the opposite.

As reasoning beings, it is impossible to escape the process of believing. So it becomes a matter of deciding in what to believe, and that, everyone must do. And as I suspect, that is basically what life is all about. That decision.